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jackhammer · 11-16-2009, 05:54 PM

Martyrs Dir: Pascal Laugier (2008)

Martyrs is a film I rented a few months back and I was so overwhelmed by it that I had to buy it as soon as I could. Today was that day and I immediately had to watch it again to prove to myself that the first viewing wasn't a fluke. It wasn't.

Horror films of late have suffered appallingly at the hands of big budgets and studio interference. The American heyday of visceral horror directed without interference by studios and test card audiences has long since gone and once again the baton has been handed back to European filmmakers with France becoming a shining light. Frontiere(s), Haute Tension and the French language Belgium film Calvaire all blazing a trail in hard hitting and intelligent, visceral Horror movies. Last years censor baiting Martyrs is almost certainly the best of the bunch and is being lauded as one of the finest Horror films of the past twenty years and with justification too.

Despite the explosion of the 'Torture-Porn' movie in American cinema (Saw, Hostel etc), the films graphic violence has not been allied with thought provoking scripts or the realism of such Seminal 70's American output such as Texas Chainsaw Massacre which has pushed the serious Horror fan to look elsewhere for it's viewing. Martyrs has somewhat unfortunately been pushed into this genre which is a huge disservice to the film and it's aims.

Martyrs is literally a film of two halves both visually and thematically, yet it remains cohesive and utterly watchable. The themes of abuse (physically and mentally although never sexual) are pertinent in these times of real life horror stories splashed all over the news and the film succeeds admirably in not reducing the horrors of man to cheap titillating voyeurism. In fact it's a film that not only excels in being psychologically disturbing but also a film that has scenes of enormous empathy that is rarely seen, let alone done so well within the Horror genre that you are drawn in on an emotional and visceral level.

A film that will stay with you with ever with it's power, intelligence and originality also succeeds in questioning our very own existence and ideals. I have no hesitation whatsoever in saying that it is damn near a masterpiece of cinema let alone a standout in the Horror genre. If you have a real interest in cinema and want to be pushed mentally and psychologically, then Martyrs HAS to be in your rental list.

11-16-2009, 05:54 PM	#170 (permalink)
jackhammer Ba and Be. Join Date: May 2007 Location: This Is England Posts: 17,331	Martyrs Dir: Pascal Laugier (2008) Martyrs is a film I rented a few months back and I was so overwhelmed by it that I had to buy it as soon as I could. Today was that day and I immediately had to watch it again to prove to myself that the first viewing wasn't a fluke. It wasn't. Horror films of late have suffered appallingly at the hands of big budgets and studio interference. The American heyday of visceral horror directed without interference by studios and test card audiences has long since gone and once again the baton has been handed back to European filmmakers with France becoming a shining light. Frontiere(s), Haute Tension and the French language Belgium film Calvaire all blazing a trail in hard hitting and intelligent, visceral Horror movies. Last years censor baiting Martyrs is almost certainly the best of the bunch and is being lauded as one of the finest Horror films of the past twenty years and with justification too. Despite the explosion of the 'Torture-Porn' movie in American cinema (Saw, Hostel etc), the films graphic violence has not been allied with thought provoking scripts or the realism of such Seminal 70's American output such as Texas Chainsaw Massacre which has pushed the serious Horror fan to look elsewhere for it's viewing. Martyrs has somewhat unfortunately been pushed into this genre which is a huge disservice to the film and it's aims. Martyrs is literally a film of two halves both visually and thematically, yet it remains cohesive and utterly watchable. The themes of abuse (physically and mentally although never sexual) are pertinent in these times of real life horror stories splashed all over the news and the film succeeds admirably in not reducing the horrors of man to cheap titillating voyeurism. In fact it's a film that not only excels in being psychologically disturbing but also a film that has scenes of enormous empathy that is rarely seen, let alone done so well within the Horror genre that you are drawn in on an emotional and visceral level. A film that will stay with you with ever with it's power, intelligence and originality also succeeds in questioning our very own existence and ideals. I have no hesitation whatsoever in saying that it is damn near a masterpiece of cinema let alone a standout in the Horror genre. If you have a real interest in cinema and want to be pushed mentally and psychologically, then Martyrs HAS to be in your rental list. __________________ It be my music and film collection. “A cynic by experience, a romantic by inclination and now a hero by necessity.”